Back in January, Posh tweeted a picture of the cookbook Eating the Alkaline Way. "Love this healthy eating cook book!!" she enthused. Clearly, it loves her back; Beckham has maintained her signature svelte frame with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables that curtails consumption of acid-forming foods like dairy, pasta, meat and fish. The goal? To keep the body's pH balance between 7.35 and 7.45. Other famous fans of the diet book, penned by Natasha Corrett, the stepsister of Sienna Miller, include Jennifer Aniston, Kirsten Dunst and Gwyneth Paltrow.

weight gain at age 40

Feel like your metabolism is stuck in slo-mo? Coaxing your body to burn calories more efficiently doesn't require daily Spinning sessions or hours at the weight rack (though being in shape and building more muscle definitely helps). From adding an extra ingredient to your smoothie to watching a funny YouTube video, you can fan your metabolism's flames in just minutes a day by adopting these research-backed habits. Over 40? "The Fat Burning Zone!"

Organic, local, gluten-free and vegan, the Sakara food plan delivers meals straight to your home or office. It's up to you to decide if you want a one-day cleanse, a five- or 20-day plan, or a three-month subscription. Whitney Tingle and Danielle DuBoise founded the company in 2011 to "promote balance in all areas of life...true health means you're making the right choices for your body because you want to, not because you have to." Customer Iman says of the program, "Danielle and Whitney make quite a pair and all they want is for women to feel good in their bodies. They are sharing their passion for great food, and great style, with the rest of the world."

22. You’re not doing the right exercise – are you’re going to the gym or doing your exercise classes, and wondering why the weight isn’t falling off? Firstly, exercise alone won’t make much difference to your weight. You need to eat right too. Secondly, your body gets used to long slow cardio, so it’s important to mix it up with some resistance training, burst or high intensity training and core work or stretching. These types of exercise help to maintain muscle, and stimulate growth hormone and testosterone, which increase your metabolism and help you burn fat.

Crash diets -- those involving eating fewer than 1,200 (if you're a woman) or 1,800 (if you're a man) calories a day -- are bad for anyone hoping to quicken their metabolism. Although these diets may help you drop pounds, that comes at the expense of good nutrition. Plus, it backfires, since you can lose muscle, which in turn slows your metabolism. The final result is your body burns fewer calories and gains weight faster than before the diet. Most Effective Cardio Exercises for Women Over 40At the advice of her dermatologist, Dr. Harold Lancer, Beckham has incorporated omega-3-rich fish into her daily diet. “I used to have really problematic skin and he said to me, ‘You have to eat salmon every single day,’” she told The Edit. “I said, ‘Really, every day?’ And he said, ‘Yes. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, you have to eat it every single day.’”
“Most 40-year-olds can remember the fat-free craze of the ’90s, when Snackwells was king,” says Shapiro. “Well, those days are over.” She advises that you leave the fat-free fake foods behind and enjoy healthy fats that add flavor to your meals and help you fill up with less. “Coconut oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, salmon are rich in vitamins and minerals that will keep you young and fill you up on smaller portions, and therefore fewer calories.” She says.